Thursday, 26 March 2009

One of the serious knock on effects of economic turmoil is exchange rate fluctuation. When we moved out here it was roughly 1.5x, which now feels like a dream. A coffee that cost €3 would equate to £2, a meal that cost €10 would equate to £6.65. Given we hover around parity everything has increased in price by one third.

Those working in tourism appear confident that 'le crise' will not affect them. However, when I explain this basic shift in economics they begin to worry and appreciate that perhaps even St Jean de Luz may be affected by world affairs, certainly in terms of foreign visitor volumes.

Basque Bylines

Traversing the planet is always good for the soul but so is returning home. Following ten months in Outer Mongolia a Scotsman and his wife return from the Steppe. Back in St Jean de Luz the sun still sits high in the sky, Gateau Basque remains as tempting as ever and life in the Basque Country moves forever onwards at its own luxurious pace. Having answered one important question, one remains:

What makes gateau Basque taste so good?

[What made Chinggis Khaan so darned angry? Nothing rhymed with his name which as a budding poet grated heavily and have you ever tried to run the world's greatest ever empire from a ger on the remote Steppe surrounded by camels at -40C?]